Machine for shaping dough-like materials



Sept. 30, 1969 F. c. WERNER 3,469,540

MACHINE FOR SHAPING DOUGH-LIKE MATERIALS Filed May 5, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. Fem L CHM Viva/6e BY z'W Sept. 30, 1969 F. c. WERNER 3,469,540

MACHINE FOR SHAPING DOUGH-LIKE MATERIALS Filed May 5, 1967 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'I OR. 244 M0615! v Sept. 30, 1969 F. C. WERNER MACHINE FOR SHAPING DOUGH-LIKE MATERIALS Filed May 5. 1967 II 1-" 7/ a, ,4r/2 r i g a? i 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l N VENTOR.

Iva/F1491? United States Patent 3,469,540 MACHINE FOR SHAPING DOUGH-LIKE MATERIALS Frank Charles Werner, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Werner Machinery Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed May 5, 1967, Ser. No. 636,306 Int. Cl. A21c 3/00 US. Cl. 10712 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary cookie machine having a feed roll and a die roll rotatably mounted within a frame. The feed roll is adjustable with respect to the die roll along a plane which does not connect the rotational axes of the two components, thus preventing increased pressutre on a scraping knife contacting the die roll during the adjustment.

The scraping knife adjustment assembly employs a parallelogram-like arrangement of pivotable components. The knife holder is pivoted to one leg of the arrangement and the opposite leg is formed from an adjustable ten sion spring. The tension spring force varies in accordance with the die roll peripheral position of the scraping knife such that the increase in abutment pressure resulting from a change in the peripheral location of the scraping pressure caused by the relaxation of the tension spring and, similarly, a decrease in abutment pressure resulting from a change in the peripheral location of the scraping knife equals the increase in abutment pressure caused by the change in length of the spring.

Background This invention relates to a rotary machine for shaping dough-like materials and, more particularly, to such ma chines embodying one or more rolls and a scraping knife mounted in operative relationship therewith. This invention relates additionally to such a machine having at least two rolls mounted in parallel fashion embodying means for adjusting the peripheral spacing between rolls. In its more limited aspects, this invention relates to rotary cookie forming machines embodying components of this type.

It has been customary in the baking industry for some time to utilize automated equipment for forming cookie dough and the like into various sizes and shapes as desired for the final product. Usually, these machines consist of a feed roll and die roll mounted within a suitable framework and rotatable about axes which are parallel. The die roll contains a plurality of recesses in its outer periphery and the shapes of these recesses correspond to the shapes desired for the final product. Dough is fed to the two rolls by means of a hopper and the feed roll functions to force this dough into the recesses in the die roll.

In order to insure that the finished products have fairly uniform back surfaces, it has become customary to provide an elongated knife abutting the die roll which functions to scrape or cut excess dough material which protrudes out of the recesses in the die roll away, thus rendering the outer surfaces of the die roll relatively smooth and cylindrical despite the presence of the dough in the various recesses thereon. After the dough has been placed into the recesses and the associated peripheral section of the die roll scraped by the knife, the cutouts are transferred onto a conveyor belt which carries them away from the forming machine for further processing. The empty recesses are then refilled with dough by the feed roll and the process repeated.

Because of the physical properties of the various types "ice of dough which are utilized in machines of this type, it is desirable that the relative position of the peripheral surfaces of the feed roll and the die roll be adjustable. These factors also make it desirable to be able to adjust the peripheral position of the knife edge about the die roll. In prior art devices, the former adjustment has always been made by moving the feed roll toward and away from the die roll along a line or plane connecting the axes of rotation of the two rolls. This adjustment has proved unsatisfactory because of the tendency of the converging feed roll to markedly increase the pressure on the knife, thus necessitating readjustment of it also. Where such an adjustment is utilized, then, it is necessary to readjust the knife position each time the relative positions of the feed roll and die roll are adjusted. This, obviously, results in lost production time and added production expense. Even more important is the fact that this adjustment interaction between the feed roll and the die roll relative position adjustment and the peripheral knife position adjustment often renders an optimum machine adjustment impossbile for a particular type of dough since the freedom to position the components independently does not exist in these types of machines.

As previously noted, particular dough mixtures often require different positioning of the knife edge about the periphery of the die roll for optimum operational results. It is further desirable that the pressure of the knife edge on the die roll be identical regardless of its peripheral position thereabout as a means of insuring a uniform dough product. Insofar as applicant is aware, no satisfactory system for effecting this adjustment has ever been found. The problem basically, arises from the tendency for the die roll to exert increased pressure against the knife edge as the knife edge is moved upwardly along slidable mountings on the frame of the machine. In such a situation, the perpendicular distance between the knife edge and a parallel line passing through the axis of rotation of the die roll varies and no means have been discovered which effectively compensates for this variation.

Objects and specification It is an object of this invention to provide a forming machine which is not subject to the disadvantages outlined above.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rotary shaping machine having at least two rolls and a knife abutting one of said rolls wherein the relative peripheral positions of the rolls may be adjusted without necessitating a readjustment of the knife position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rotary shaping machine having at least one roll contacted by a scraping knife edge wherein the peripheral position of the edge with respect to the roll may be adjusted Without varying the contact pressure of the edge against the roll.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a machine for shaping dough-like materials having a feed roll, a die roll and a knife wherein the relative peripheral positions of the feed roll and die roll may be adjusted without varying the pressure on the knife edge and, thus, without readjusting the scraping knife assembly.

It is an object of this invention to provide a scraping knife whose peripheral position with respect to the die roll may be adjusted without varying the contact pressure of the knife against the surface of the die roll.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of the type described wherein the relative positions of the die roll and feed roll and the position of the scraping knife assembly, with respect thereto, may be adjusted in relatively independent fashion as a means of achieving optimum operating conditions for the particular type of dough being processed.

These and other objects of this invention will be clearly understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side-elevational view, partially in cross section, of a rotary cookie machine constructed in accordance With the principles and teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a broken, fragmentary, plan view, partially in cross section, of the feed roll adjustment assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side-elevational view, partially in cross section, of the feed roll adjustment assembly;

FIG. 4 is a broken, fragmentary, plan view, partially in cross section, of the scraping knife adjustment shaft and its mountings;

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational view of the scraping knife adjustment shaft indexing mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan View of the scraping knife tension control and adjustment assembly;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of the scraping knife adjustment assembly; and

FIG. 8 is a side-elevational view, partially in cross section, of the scraping knife tension spring assembly.

Briefly, this invention comprises a framework having conventional rolls rotatably mounted therein on axes which are parallel and a knife contacting one of the rolls. Means are provided for adjusting the position of one roll within the frame with respect to the other roll along a line or plane which does not connect the rotational axes of the two components but, rather, causes the one roll to move towards the other roll in such a manner that the closest point between the two peripheries moves away from the knife-like edge of the scraper mechanism. Since the point of closest proximity moves away from the knife edge during this process, no tendency exists for the pressure upon the knife edge to be increased by the adjustment. In one of its more limited aspects, this invention comprises a rotary cookie machine wherein the two rolls are feed and die rolls and wherein the scraping knife contacts the die roll.

The scraping knife adjustment assembly, which forms yet another aspect of this invention, comprises a knife holder which forms one leg of a parallelogram-like arrangement of pivotable components. The knife holder is pivoted to one leg of the parallelogram-like structure and to the opposite leg which comprises an adjustable tension spring. Means are provided for pivoting this parallelogram-like structure about a point chosen such that the tension spring force exerted on the knife holder varies in accordance with the peripheral location of the scraper knife on the roll which it abuts.

Referring now to the figures, a preferred embodiment of this invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 illustrates a rotary forming machine having a frame 10 composed of side panels 11, 12 and 13 (see also FIG. 4) suitably spaced and supported by a plurality of lateral supports 24. Rotatably mounted within frame 10 are a feed roll assembly 14, a die roll assembly 15, an idler roll assembly 16 and a pressure roll assembly 17. The knife and knife adjustment assembly are indicated generally by the reference numeral 18, the feed roll adjustment assembly by the reference numeral 19 and the pressure roll adjustment assembly by the reference numeral 20. Positioned above the feed roll and the die roll in the manner shown, is a conventional hopper assembly 21 into which the dough is placed and wherefrom it passes into engagement with the feed and die rolls to be shaped in the form determined by the shapes of the recesses in die roll assembly 15. An endless belt 22 encircles the idler roller assemblies 16, the die roll assembly and the pressure roll assembly 17 in the manner indicated. One or more suitable idlers 23 may be provided for the belt return. During operation of the apparatus, the dough within hopper 21 is forced between feed roll assembly 14 and die roll assembly 15 and into a series of recesses provided in the peripheral face of the die roll. The knife assembly 18 scrapes any excess dough from the periphery of the die roll and the dough is further flattened and compacted into the recesses by the action of belt 22 operating in conjunction with pressure roller 17. The dough sticks to the belt 22 when it leaves die roll assembly 15 and is transported thereby to a subsequent processing station. The empty recess then passes back into operative relationship with feed roll 14 and the process is repeated. In actual operation die roll 15, of course, contains die recesses about its entire periphery such that a continuous stream of formed shapes emerges from the machine on conveyor belt 22.

Referring now additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3, the feed roll assembly 14 comprises a feed roll shell 25 having a plurality of serrated areas 26 and recess areas 27 on the peripheral surface thereof. The feed roll shell 25 is rotatably borne by means of a shaft 28 which is supported at either extremity by a pair of eye-bolt carriage members 29. Eye-bolt carriage members 29 have an eye section 30 and a threaded shaft section 31. Suitable bearings 32 are provided within eye section 30 for rotatably receiving feed roll shaft 28.

A pair of die roll drive gears 33 are aflixed to the outwardly extending ends of shaft 28. These gears, as is well-known in the art, are of the varable center distance type and function to permit index driving of the die roll from the feed roll throughout a predetermined range of relative displacements between the two components. The die roll, of course, has similar driving gears at each of the extremities of its shaft and the intermeshing of the gears serves to prevent positively any twisting of the die roll which might result from its being driven at one end only. The feed roll shaft 28 is driven by means of a drive sprocket 34 which is attached to a suitable prime mover by any type of conventional power transfer means.

, An adjustment shaft 35 is journalled suitably as at 36 between panels 11 and 12 of the frame. Shaft 35 has a pair of wormed surfaces along its extremity which contact and engage a pair of worm gears 37 in a conventional manner. Worm gears 37 have a tapped interior adapted to threadably receive threaded section 31 of the eye-bolt carriage members 29. The threaded section 31 of these carriage members is positioned by a longitudinal slide bearing 38 suitably housed within the machine frame. As shaft 35 is rotated by any conventional means such as a wheel, the worm gears 37 rotate and their threaded engagement with threaded section 31 of the carriage members causes the carriage members 29 to move to the right or left, as viewed in FIG. 3, depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 35. This movement, as will be noted from FIG. 1, causes the feed roll assembly 14 to move closer to or further away from die roll assembly 15. The adjustable movement of feed roll assembly 14 occurs in a horizontal plane as viewed in FIG. 1. This path of movement effectively raises the point of closest proximity between the feed roll and the die roll as the feed roll is moved towards the die roll and, likewise, lowers the point of closest proximity When the feed roll is moved away from the die roll. Thus, as viewed in FIG. 1, the feed roll may be moved toward the die roll without its coming into contact with knife edge 61 and either jamming thereagainst or forcing it into closer abutment with the die roll assembly 15 than is desirable. Thus, feed roll 14 may be adjusted within predetermined limits relative to die roll assembly 15 without first removing the scraper knife 60 from between the two machine components.

Referring again to FIG. 1, die roll assembly 15 comprises an outer shell 45 which has a plurality of suitably shaped recesses (not shown) in the peripheral surface thereof. The shell 45 is supported by means of a shaft 46 suitably driven from gears 33 on the feed roll assembly in the manner discussed previously. Similarly, the idler roll assembly 16 comprises a smooth shell surface 16 suitably supported about a shaft 48 and the pressure roll assembly 17 comprises a shell 49 suitably borne about a shaft 50.

Depending upon the particular type of dough being processed, it may be necessary to change the degree of pressure exerted on the die roll assembly 15 by the pressure roll assembly 17. This may be accomplished, as shown in FIG. 1, by means of a worm shaft 54 rotated by wheel 51 and engaging a pair of worm gears 52 which move a pair of suitable carriage shafts 53 up and down in a manner identical to that described in conjunction with the feed roll position adjustment assembly. Thus, by rotating wheel 51, the shell 49 and the particular section of conveyor belt 22 which surrounds it may be moved into tighter or more relaxed abutting relationship with die roll assembly 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4 through 8, the knife and knife adjustment assemblies 18 comprise a knife 60 having an inclined edge 61 which is adapted to abut the peripheral surface of die roll shell 45 in a manner described previously. The knife 60 is supported by a knife holder 62 which may extend the entire width of the machine or comprise end brackets at each side thereof depending upon the structural characteristics of knife 60.

A pair of adjustment plates 63 pivoted to the housing at 64 and having U-shaped recesses in the end extremities thereof are connected to knife support 62 by means of knife holder connecting arms 66. The knife holder connecting arms are also pivotably mounted at 64 but are secured for movement with adjustment plates 63 by means of shear pins 67. Shear pins 67, as is well-known in the art, will shear in the event that the shear forces placed upon them exceed a predetermined limit during operation of the machine. Knife holder 62 is pivotably mounted to the knife holder connecting arms 66 as indicated at 68. Pivotable connection 68 does not pass into adjustment plates 63 and the knife holder connecting arms 66 are free to rotate about shaft 64 except for the presence of shear pins 67.

The lower extremity of the knife holder 62 is pivotably connected to a tension spring assembly 70 which comprises a housing 71, an end cap 72, an end plug 73, a central shaft 74 slidable within both end cap 72 and end plug 73, an adjustable shoulder 75 and a compression spring 76. Shaft 74 has an eye 77 protruding from the tension side thereof and this eye is pivotably received at 69 by knife holder 62. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the structure shown in FIG. 6 and 7 is duplicated at each of the interior facing surfaces of frame panels 11 and 12. The knife 60, then, is positioned at each of its extremities by these assemblies.

A release handle 78 is pivotably afiixed to each of the adjustment plates 63 as indicated at 79. As is the case with regard to the pivotable connection between connecting arm 66 and holder 62, the pivoting mechanism 79 connects only adjustment plate 63 and release handle 78 leaving the entire adjustment assembly free to pivot about point 64 which, of course, is the only connection to the framework of the machine. Release handles 78 are positioned with respect to adjustment plate 63 by means of conventional spring pins 80 which may be selectively retracted to allow release handles 78 to be rotated. Such rotation, as noted best in FIG. 7, will cause the knife 60 to be withdrawn from between the feed roll assembly 14 and the die roll assembly 15 for cleaning when the die roll has been removed from the machine.

Adjustment of the knife position relative to the peripheral surface of the die roll is made by means of a shaft 81 which is suitably borne within all three of the vertical partitions 11, 12 and 13 of the machine frame. The working components are mounted, of course, between Walls 11 and 12, as viewed in FIG. 4. Shaft 81 has a pair of eccentrically mounted camming surfaces 82 on its inward extremities and these camming surfaces are received by the U-shaped recesses 65 in adjustment plate 63 in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

Afiixed to the outer surface of wall 13 is an indexing template 83 having a plurality of positioning apertures 6 84 in the surface thereof (see FIG. 5). Shaft 81 is provided with an adjustment lever 85 having a spring loaded knob 86 mounted thereon which may selectively engage apertures 84 by means of retractable pin 87.

In operation, once the particular type of dough to be processed has been determined, the relative positions of the feed roll assembly 14 and the die roll assembly 15 are adjusted by rotating shaft 35 in the manner discussed previously. This adjustment may be made without fear of jamming knife 60 between the two components or increasing the pressure thereon since the point of closest proximity moves upwardly as the feed roll is brought closer and closer to the die roll. In actual operatron, this adjustment should be capable of varying the spacing between the two components over a range of approximately three-eights of one inch.

After the proper relative displacement of the two rolls has been completed, the position of knife 60 is adjusted by pulling knob 86 towards the operator so as to disengage spring pin 87 from the aperture 84 in template 83 in which it has been previously positioned, rotating handle 85 to the desired position and releasing knob 86 such that spring pin 87 engages another aperture 84 in template 83. The rotation of handle 85 rotates shaft 81 which, in turn, rotates the eccentric mounted camming surfaces 82 within the U-shaped recesses 65 of adjustment plates 63. This rotation causes adjustment plates 63 to rotate about pivot points 64 and thus bring the working edge 61 of the knife 60 into the desired peripheral position with respect to die roll shell 45.

Referring specifically to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the total force which is exerted against the peripheral surface of the die roll by the knife edge 61 is a sum of the forces resulting from the tension of spring 76 (force 88) and the abutment of the peripheral surface of die roll assembly 15 against the knife (force 89). It will be apparent that as the knife edge 61 is moved upwardly into the space between the two roller components, the force exerted against it by the direct peripheral pressure of die roll assembly 15 will increase because of the effec ive increase in working radius of the die roll against pivot point 64. It will be likewise apparent, however, that as such repositioning is executed the legs 70 of the parallelogram-like structure formed by the various components pivoted at point 64, 79, 68, and 69 will shorten. This shortening decreases the pressure on spring 76 and thus reduces force 88. By adjusting shoulder 75 such that the proper tension exists on shaft 74, the total force 90, which is a sum of the forces 88 and 89, may be made to remain constant regardless of the positioning of lever 85, and, thus, regardless of the peripheral position of knife blade 61 with respect to die roll 15. That is to say, that the various components in the adjustment system may be designed such that the increase in force 89 resulting from the raising of knife edge 61 will equal the decrease in the force 88 caused by the shortening of legs 70 of the adjustment assemblies. Similarly, the reduction in force 89 resulting from a lowering of the knife edge 61 will equal the increase in force 88 due to the lengthening of legs 7 0 of the adjustment assemblies.

If, during the course of operation of the apparatus, a relatively hard object should bind against knife blade 61 and the adjacent rollers, shear pins 67 will shear and allow the knife holder 62 to fall away from the gap between the two rotating components preventing any permanent damage to the equipment. The two shear pins 67 may be replaced as soon as the object has been removed from the apparatus and operation resumed.

It is necessary in machines of this type that the die roll be periodically removed for cleaning. During the time interval of such removal it is also customary to clean the feed roll. From FIG. 7, it will be noted that the relative proximity of the knife edge 61 to feed roll assembly 14 seriously inhibits the ease with which the feed roll may be cleaned. The present invention obviates this problem by the provision of handle members 78 which may be pivoted about points 79 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7, by merely pulling spring pins 80 out of engagement with adjustment plates 63. Such rotation, when the die roll is removed from the machine, causes the knife edge 61 and the knife holder 62 to be swung away from the feed roll to allow access thereto for cleaning. Once such cleaning has been completed, handles 78 may be rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 7, until such point as spring pins 80 relock in their receiving apertures in adjustment plates 63. Preferably, one such handle is provided on each side of the maachine, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that one handle may be utilized if a suitable mechanism is provided for transmitting the rotational thrust to the opposite side of the machine.

In some situations, it may be desirable to inactivate tension member 70 and rely solely for contact pressure between the knife edge 61 and the die roll assembly 15 on the positional force 89. Such may be easily accomplished, as viewed in FIG. 8, by rotating plug 73 into housing 71 to such point that the plug contacts shoulder 75 and restricts further movement thereof. When such an adjustment has been made, the minimum length which tension leg 70 of the apparatus may assume, will of course, have been altered with a consequent reduction in the range over which the knife adjustment assembly retains its contact pressure accuracy.

I claim:

1. A rotary machine for shaping dough-like materials comprising:

a frame;

a feed roll and a die roll rotatably mounted within said frame about parallel axes of rotation;

a scraping knife mounted within said frame having its edge protruding into the space between said rolls and abutting the periphery of said die roll;

means for adjusting the position of the axes of rotation of said feed roll with respect to said die roll such that, as said feed roll moves toward or away from said die roll, the angular position of the line of closest proximity between said rolls as measured from the axes of rotation of either of said rolls changes whereby said knife may remain in the same position during adjustment of the relative positions of said rolls; and

means for changing the peripheral position of said knife with respect to said die roll, said changing means including an adjustment plate pivotable mounted to each of the facing surfaces of said frame on which said feed and die rolls are rotatably borne, a knife holder pivotably mounted to said adjustment plates, said knife holder supporting said knife such that it extends into the space between said die roll and said feed roll, tension means connected between said knife holder and said adjustment plates for biasing said knife holder about its pivot point on said adjustment plates such that said knife is forced into abutting relationship with said die roll, said tension means being adapted to exert varying tension forces on sand knife holder depending upon the angular position of said holder with respect to sa1d adjustment plates, and means for pivoting said adjustment plates with respect to said frame to change the peripheral position of said knife with respect to said die roll.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pivotable mounting of said adjustment plates, the pivotable mountings of said knife holder, the connection between said tension means and said knife holder and the connection between said tension means and said adjustment plate define a parallelogram-like structure having one leg formed by said tension means which vanes in length in response to the angular position of said holder with respect to said adjustment plates whereby, as said adjustment plates are pivoted, the length of said variable leg and, thus, the tension that said tension means is exerting on said knife holder varies and maintains the contact pressure of said edge against said die roll relatively constant regardless of the peripheral position of said edge with respect thereto.

E5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ad ustment plates include a knife holder connecting arm plvoted at each of said frame surfaces about the same axis as said adjustment plates are pivotable and fixed for movement with said adjustment plates by means of shear pins, said knife holder being pivotably afiixed to said knife holder connecting arms whereby said pins will shear and permit said knife to fall away from between said the roll and said feed roll in the event that a foreign ob ect is introduced into said apparatus.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the connection between said tension means and said adjustment plates comprises:

a handle member pivotably afiixed to at least one of said adjustment plates, said tension means being pivotably connected to said handle member whereby, when said handle member is pivoted, said knife will swing away from said feed roll; and

means for selectively restricting the movement of said handle means with respect to said adjustment plate.

5. An apparatus for shaping dough-like materials having a frame, a roll rotatably mounted within said frame and a scraping knife mounted within said frame having an elongated edge abutting the longitudinal periphery of said roll in scraping fashion, and means for adjusting the peripheral position of said elongated edge with respect to said roll, said adjusting means comprising:

means biasing said elongated edge into abutting relationship with said roll, said biasing means including spring means; and

means for varying the force exerted by said biasing means in response to different peripheral settings of said elongated edge, said varying means including means for adjusting the tension on said spring means so as to compensate for increased or decreased pressure of said edge against said roll resulting from the change in the peripheral position of said edge with respect thereto whereby the pressure exerted by said edge against said roll remains approximately constant regardless of the peripheral position of said elongated edge.

6. Apparatus for shaping dough-like materials, said apparatus having a frame, a roll rotatably mounted within said frame and a scraping knife mounted within said frame having an elongated edge abutting the longitudinal periphery of said roll in scraping fashion, and means for adjusting the peripheral position of said elongated edge with respect to said roll, said adjusting means comprising:

an adjustment plate pivotably mounted to each of the surfaces of said frame on which said roll is rotatably borne;

a knife holder pivotably mounted to said adjustment plates, said knife holder supporting said knife such that the elongated edge thereof may pivot into contact with said roll;

tension means connected between said knife holder and said adjustment plates for biasing said knife holder about its pivot point such that said edge is forced into contact with said roll, said tension means being apapted to exert varying tension forces on said knife holder depending upon the angular position of said holder with respect to said adjustment plates; and

means for pivoting said adjustment plates with respect to said frame to vary the peripheral position of said edge with respect to said roll.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said pivoting means comprises:

eccentric receiving apertures in each of said adjustment plates;

a shaft rotatably borne within said frame, said shaft having eccentric means mounted thereon adapted to be received by said apertures; and

indexing means for rotating said shaft to a predetermined position whereby said adjustment plates are pivoted to position said elongated edge in a corresponding predetermined position.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the pivotable mounting of said adjustment plate, the pivotable mounting of said knife holder, the connection between said tension means and said knife holder and connection between said tension means and said adjustment plate define a parallelogram-like structure having one leg formed by said tension means which varies in length in response to the angular position of said holder with respect to said adjustment plates whereby as said adjustment plates are pivoted, the length of said variable leg and, thus, the tension that said tension means is exerting on said knife holder varies and maintains the contact pressure of said edge against said roll relatively constant regardless of the peripheral position of said knife with respect thereto.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said adjustment plates include a knife holder connecting arm pivoted at each of said frame surfaces about the same axis as said adjustment plates are pivotable and fixed for movement with said adjustment plates by means of shear pins, said knife holder being pivotably affixed to said knife holder connecting arms whereby said pins will shear and permit said knife to fall away from said roll in the event that a foreign object is introduced into said apparatus.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said apparatus is a rotary cookies machine and said roll is a die roll and which further comprises a feed roll mounted within said frame and rotatable about an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of said die roll, said elongated edge protruding into the space between said die roll and said feed roll to contact said die roll.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the connection between said tension means and said adjustment plates comprises:

a handle member pivotably affixed to at least one of said adjustment plates, said tension means being pivotably connected to said handle member whereby, when said handle member is pivoted, said knife will swing away from said feed roll; and

means for selectively restricting the movement of said handle means with respect to said adjustment plate.

12. rotary machine for shaping dough-like materials comprrsmg:

a frame;

a feed roll and a die roll rotatably mounted within said frame about parallel axes of rotation;

a scraping knife mounted within said frame having its edge protruding into the space between said rolls and abutting the periphery of said die roll;

means for adjusting the position of the axis of rotation of said feed roll with respect to said die roll such that, as said feed roll moves toward or away from said die roll, the angular position of the line of closest proximity between said rolls as measured from the axes of rotation of either of said rolls changes whereby said knife may remain in the same position during adjustment of the relative positions of said rolls; and

means for changing the peripheral position of said knife with respect to said die roll, said changing means including spring means biasing said edge into abutting relationship with said die roll and means for varying the tension on said spring means in response to different peripheral positionings of said edge, said varying means including means for adjusting the tension on said spring means so as to compensate for increased or decreased contact pressure of said edge against said die roll resulting from a change in the peripheral position of said edge with respect thereto whereby the pressure which said knife exerts on said die roll remains approximately constant regardless of the peripheral position of said knife with respect thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner ROBERT I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner 

